as an Example of Special-Purpose Training Institution within the Tertiary Education System of the Second Republic of Poland

The article aims to define the position of specialised training in the system of tertiary education. The study looks into the basic legal acts of the Second Republic of Poland governing higher educational establishments in terms of the position awarded to such establishments as special-purpose colleges. The problem was discussed using the example of the Teacher Training College of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków inaugurated in 1921. Information sourced from the archives of the Jagiellonian University reveals how important a social role that institution played in pre-war Poland. It was a major training centre for secondary school teachers in the recovered general educational system. While remaining part of the university and denied academic status, the college was not an ordinary teacher training facility. Its significant position is confirmed by its operation within the framework of the Jagiellonian University, the use of university staff as lecturers, the practical and scientific nature of the curriculum, and students access to internships abroad. All things considered, the Teacher Training College of the Jagiellonian University operating in newly reborn Poland earned the status of a pioneer of specialist education and set the trend for other special forms of training. The novelty of the research carried out and the results obtained arise from the fact that this subject has not yet been analyzed by legal historians. Also for this reason, it should be recognized that the presented issue has a cognitive value for science.

INTRODUCTION alone the form of organisation, and grounds for operation. A study of the then legal regulations only partly resolves this question. Probably, for this reason, authors researching the higher education system of the Second Republic of Poland attach relatively little attention to this component of academic training. 5 Answers to the above questions become straightforward when we take a closer look at how that succinct legislation affected the operation of a specific educational establishment and consider the broader socio-political context of the Second Republic of Poland. This article focuses on the Teacher Training College inaugurated at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków in 1921. This institution was unique since, although formally embedded in the university structure, it did not award a university degree and did not even offer the status of a university student. 6 However, it was not an ordinary teacher training institution because only a narrow group of candidates who met specific requirements was eligible to apply for admission.
The study has two parts. Part one discusses the elementary laws governing the tertiary education system of the Second Republic of Poland (1918Poland ( -1939. Extra room is given to the structure of higher education establishments and the position of special-purpose colleges. Although they did not make it to AHEE 1920, academic units called "divisions" were authorised to operate optionally. In practice, special-purpose colleges fell under university divisions. Special-purpose colleges were formally acknowledged in AHEE 1933. Not only did the legislator approve the name of this academic unit, but it also laid down the terms of establishing and organising such forms of training. The second part of thos article casts light on the Teacher Training College of the Jagiellonian University (TTCJU), its legal basis, organisation, and operation. In this part, the author explains the socio-political context of the Polish state. The 5 The Teacher Training College of the Jagiellonian University has been studied so far as part of pedagogical sciences. However, the studies are rather descriptive and skin-deep. They lack references to the organisation of the legal system of the time and, in some cases, also to basic legal regulations. Certainly, texts written by pedagogy experts differ from those written by representatives of other scientific disciplines in terms of the method, purpose, and scope. Some current studies are: J. Chodakowska, Uniwersyteckie studia pedagogiczne, "Rozprawy z Dziejów Oświaty" 1994, vol. 36, p. 151-172;K. Dormus, Studium Pedagogiczne Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego (1921-1952: geneza, twórcy, znaczenie, "Nauki o Wychowaniu. Studia Interdyscyplinarne" 2020, vol. 11(2), pp. 138-154; eadem, The Beginnings of the Institutionalization of Pegagogy in Cracow, "Przegląd Historyczno-Oświatowy" 2019, vol. 1-2, pp. 47-59; R. Dutkowa, Studium Pedagogiczne Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego 1921-1952(Zarys działalności), "Przegląd Historyczno-Oświatowy" 1968 6 Student status was obtained through matriculation, which involved an oath sworn before the university rector or a written statement of commitment to abiding by academic policies and regulations. See Article 91 AHEE 1920; Regulation of the Minister of Religious Denominations and Public Enlightenment of 20 August 1921 on matriculation, registration for lectures and university certificates (Journal of Laws of the MRDPE 1921, no. 15, item 147).
Although the Kraków institution was formally active after WW2, the author chose to discuss its early period of organisation and development under the jurisdiction of the pre-WW2 legal system. Consideration was given to the fact that the period of the Second Republic of Poland is approached by history studies as a whole. The author uses historical and legal research methods. Archival materials from the Archives of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków were consulted. The focus was on resources containing information about the TTCJU as well as the Faculty of Philosophy of the Jagiellonian University, the TTCJU's parent unit. Provisions of the relevant laws and ministerial regulations were also examined next to the literature on the subject.

SPECIAL-PURPOSE COLLEGES WITHIN THE SYSTEM OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
The system of tertiary education in the Second Republic of Poland was founded on the provisions of the Act of 13 July 1920 on higher education establishments. Due to the relatively small number of higher education institutions active in the early period after regaining independence, the provisions of AHEE 1920 covered them all at a time. 7 Apart from implementing a completely new system, AHEE 1920 also provided its normative basis. Moreover, it established a far-reaching uniformity of the structures of all post-secondary schools, regardless of their size and focus. The schools enjoyed some latitude only in secondary matters governed by their charters. 8 First of all, AHEE 1920 confirmed the status of a higher educational institution as providing the highest level of education. Such institutions were obliged to combine teaching with scientific and research activities. 9 To make this possible, AHEE 1920 introduced several novel solutions. Besides authority bodies, 10 the law U M C S Teacher Training College of the Jagiellonian University as an Example… 477 defined individual organisational units. The basic unit was faculty as an umbrella organisation for lower-tier research departments. 11 Optionally, faculties were able to set up their own divisions. 12 However, the law did not provide for any institution, such as a special-purpose school.
The year 1933 saw a radical reform of the tertiary education system in Poland. It was enacted along with the Act of 15 March 1933 on higher education establishments. The remodelling of the system was attributed to the Minister of Religious Denominations and Public Enlightenment (MRDPE), Janusz Jędrzejewicz, and was part of a sweeping reform of Polish education at all its levels. 13 Apart from retaining most institutions existing within the higher education structure, AHEE 1933 additionally introduced new systemic solutions. One of them was the introduction of the concept and rules of organisation of special colleges.
It should be emphasised that failure to legitimise special-purpose training for over ten years did not mean that special education had been absent from the system altogether. In response to social needs, an approach was pursued of setting up and operating special education units within legally sanctioned school divisions. The operation of divisions was governed by MRDPE's decisions as well as based on internal policies of individual higher schools. In both cases, it was the MRDPE that formally established such a unit. As a rule, divisions were units intended for some separate forms of training within a university faculty. This approach helped create a number of organisational units known as special-purpose colleges. The difference between divisions and special colleges was negligible. 14 Divisions served the purpose of accommodating specific scientific disciplines which were regarded as falling within the basic activity of the faculty. Colleges, on the other hand, were intended to offer training in disciplines that were not part of the regular faculty curriculum. 15 U M C S Introduction in 1933 of the institution of "special-purpose colleges" actually legitimised the actual state of affairs, i.e. special training opportunities afforded to citizens right from the early days of Poland's independence. As regards the Kraków TTCJU, the underlying cause of its establishment was the urgent need to train secondary school staff. It was one of the firmest recommendations of the teachers' community put forward to the minister in charge of education of all levels. By formally approving special-purpose training, AHEE 1933 also set out clear rules of its organisation and operation. First, it pointed to the MRDPE as the only authority empowered to establish, divide, and reorganise special-purpose educational institutions through regulations. The MRDPE did so after hearing the opinion or at the request of the university senate, and in the case of reorganisation, having examined the opinion or at the request of the faculty council. 16 The very organisation policy of special-purpose colleges was to be framed in a charter given by the minister. The minister was also in a position to appoint a college-based council of professors, similar to the faculty council, and appoint the college head. 17 It is worth noting that special-purpose colleges were not only present in the Polish higher education system during the Second Republic. They were inspired by popular and almost conventional units operating within foreign universities. Such forms of education at Western universities mainly involved participation in a seminar of an internationally recognised scholar or were a series of tutoring arrangements. 18 In the reborn Republic of Poland, they served a more practical purpose.

LEGAL BASIS, ORGANISATION, AND OPERATION OF THE TTCJU
The option of teacher training within individual faculties opened up for Polish universities no earlier than in 1925. 19 After Poland regained independence, the Jagiellonian University, which had preserved the teacher training tradition for years, decided to continue the programme. 20 Particular emphasis was laid on training candidates for secondary school instructors. 21 Secondary schools were the highest level of the then educational system.
As mentioned above, the interwar higher education laws permitted the establishment of specialist training units within university faculties. 22 Hence, in the case of the Jagiellonian University, the Faculty of Philosophy was tasked with developing a unit offering training for future secondary school teachers. 23 The lack of a sound legal basis and the question of position of the new unit within the university structure proved challenging. 24 As a consequence, there were differences of opinion among the university staff regarding the status of the new institution. Indeed, the university authorities recognised the urgent need to organise a teacher training facility at the Jagiellonian University, yet they also expressed some concern that the university would accommodate a unit having the attributes of "a vocational school, the rank of which does not differ from popular teachers' seminaries". 25 26 November 1925 on master's examinations at the faculties of philosophy (faculties of the humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences) of universities (Journal of Law of the MRDPE 1926, no. 8, item 65). 20 Already during the partitions period, the authorities of the Jagiellonian University had applied to the National School Council and the Austrian Ministry of Education to regulate the problem of teacher education formally. The applications were justified by the fact that the lack of organised teacher training structures translated into an unsatisfactory level of teaching competence, and thus, the poor level of instruction at schools. However, the authorities failed to respond and address the problem. See W. Witkowski, Historia administracji w Polsce 1764-1989, Warszawa 2012 F. Szafrański, Przygotowanie zawodowe nauczycieli w czasach II Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej w świetle ustaw, dekretów oraz aktów normatywnych Ministerstwa Wyznań Religijnych i Oświecenia Publicznego, Wrocław 1980, p. 40. 22 Janina Chodakowska (Uniwersyteckie studia…, p. 160) writes about this type of studies operating within the Jagiellonian University: "It was a proven form of organisation at the university: its framework included agricultural sciences and pharmacy". 23 Eadem, Pierwsze magisteria w uniwersytetach Drugiej Rzeczypospolitej, "Rozprawy z Dziejów Oświaty" 2000, vol. 39, p. 100. 24 Another problem was the unification of the provisions of educational law, as well as the establishment of proper relations between general schools and higher academic facilities. For details, see Archives of Jagiellonian University in Kraków, WP II 566, Secondary education reform. 25 Archives of Jagiellonian University in Kraków, SP 1-48/2. See also F. Śliwiński, Zasady nowego ustroju szkolnictwa średniego, Lwów-Warszawa [without year of release]. Teachers' seminaries were the most popular teacher training facilities in the interwar period. Low admission requirements as well as a moderate quality of training offered caused part of the teacher community to hold an opinion that these institutions were mere vocational schools producing great quantities of incompetent teachers. The Polish education system addressed the problem relatively early and regulated teachers' The main discussion concerning the legal status of the future colleges ensued between Prof. Władysław Heinrich, philosopher and psychologist from the Jagiellonian University, and Profs Jan Rozwadowski,Michał Siedlecki,Karol Dziewoński,Witold Rubczyński,and Tadeusz Sikorski. 26 Prof. Heinrich pointed out that it was an immediate priority to establish an institution educating future secondary school teachers. He mainly highlighted the practical goals and advantages of this kind of facility. The formal and legal matters, including the question of whether and how the special-purpose college would be incorporated in the structure of the Faculty of Philosophy and on what conditions, were to be addressed at a later stage. Heinrich opted for a solution that would allow the new institution to seek full autonomy from the Faculty of Philosophy in the near future.
Heinrich's position was opposed by some of the staff of the Faculty of Philosophy listed above. In their opinion, the first priority was to define the legal status of the newly established unit. The professors also advocated that it remain closely affiliated to the Jagiellonian University. From a formal point of view, it was intended to be integrated with the Faculty of Philosophy, and thus with the university, as a College of Pedagogy. 27 The concept was reported to the MRDPE by a faculty member, Prof. Władysław Natanson. The strong link with the Jagiellonian University and focus on the training component were to ensure that the college would not be able to enjoy the right to award academic degrees and thus would not be in a position to seek autonomy.
Since Prof. Heinrich refused to abandon his concept, and he shared it both with the ministry and the university authorities, a Pedagogical Commission was established within the Faculty of Philosophy to resolve the dispute. The Commission managed to combine the two approaches, and its findings ultimately led to the establishment of the Teacher Training College. 28 In 1920 notices were exchanged between the faculty's Pedagogical Commission and the MRDPE in Warsaw. The Ministry received a draft charter and tentative curriculum. 29 Formal consent to the establishment of the college was given at the beginning of November 1920. 30 In continuing the conventional procedure of organisation of the new institution, the professors of the Faculty of Philosophy submitted several requests with the Ministry. They sought to resolve two major 26 R. Dutkowa,op. cit.,p. 449. 27 Ibidem. 28 Archives of Jagiellonian University in Kraków, SP 1-48/4. 29 The first curriculum included two groups of subjects. They were defined as: "a) a lecture on theoretical subjects of general nature, the knowledge of which by a secondary school teacher is reasonably required, b) a course in special didactics of secondary school subjects […]" (ibidem). 30 Ibidem. The Ministry responded to the former of the two requests in August 1921. Despite the relatively slow response of the Ministry, the organisational effort was not obstructed. Prof. Heinrich and his associates continued preparations. The MRDPE approved the curriculum and awarded the amount of 300,000 Polish marks for the purchase of teaching aids. 33 The Teacher Training College of the Jagiellonian University was inaugurated on Sunday, 5 November 1921, although the classes had begun already on 6 October. 34 The Minister in charge of education, and at the same time, the then Prime Minister, Antoni Ponikowski, attended the ceremony along with numerous members of the academia and students. This shows how important the College project was. The ceremony was held in the main university building and was hosted by the University Rector, Prof. Julian Nowak. Prof. Heinrich took the floor after the rector. Although credited with substantial contribution to the organisation of the college, it may somewhat come as a surprise that he was formally appointed director no earlier than on 18 November 1922. Preserved records fail to explain what caused the postponement of the appointment decision. It is a fact, however, that the Ministry postponed the approval of Heinrich's candidacy until the adoption of the charter. The Professor was only entrusted with supervising "the organisational effort related to the college". 35 The closing speech at the inaugural ceremony was delivered by the Prime Minister. In conclusion, he expressed his wishes for the College by quoting the Latin formula, quod felix, faustum fortunatumque sit. 36 31 Władysław Heinrich was born in Warsaw in 1869. He graduated from mathematics and natural sciences in Zurich, Switzerland. He also studied philosophy there. After earning his PhD, he left for Vienna; in 1897 he moved to Kraków to assume the position of assistant researcher at the Department of Physics of the Jagiellonian University. In 1900 he earned a habilitation degree as private reader in experimental psychology and methodology of natural sciences. He continued his research pursuits at Paris. He was nominated associate professor at Kraków in 1905 and full professor in 1912. After that, he chaired the Chair of Philosophy at the Jagiellonian University. Although Prof. Heinrich turned 65, the Minister of Religious Denominations and Public Enlightenment consented to prolong Heinrich's employment at Kraków for five consecutive years. After retirement in 1939, he continued to serve as the director of the TTCJU. He died in Kraków in 1957. See B.J. Gawecki, Władysław Heinrich (1869-1957), "Ruch Filozoficzny" 1958 (1-3) The first college charter was adopted by the Council of the Faculty of Philosophy on 5 May 1922. The MRDPE approved it on 7 July. 37 According to the charter, the goal of the College was to train candidates for the teaching profession and pursue pedagogical and didactic sciences. 38 In the circumstances where the existing legislation did not afford the opportunity to train future teachers within university programmes, the TTCJU was seen as a transitional institution. The TTCJU was neither a higher education establishment nor a teachers' seminary, i.e. a de facto vocational training institution. The charter also adopted the name of the institution as "Teacher Training College" and formally classified it as "division of the Faculty of Philosophy". 39 As for the name and position of the new institution within the Faculty and University structure, the situation was somewhat vague, at least until the adoption of AHEE 1933. First of all, at no point did AHEE 1920 contain provisions on academic organisational units referred to as "special-purpose colleges" or "college". It should therefore be assumed that the Ministry simply accepted the name proposed by the requesting institution. As mentioned above, when designing the TTCJU, the provisions governing university "divisions" were relied upon.
The governing bodies of the College were, in accordance with the adopted charter: Director and Commission. Since the TTCJU remained part of the Faculty, the members of the Faculty Council were responsible for nominating the governing bodies of the College. Such individuals were to be selected from among the faculty council members who sat in the council ex officio. The nomination needed approval of the MRDPE. 40 The Director's responsibilities were: to chair the College Commission, to represent the unit before the university authorities, to submit and report motions prepared by the collegiate body of the College to the Faculty of Philosophy Council. Besides, he was required to monitor the progress of the programme. 41 The charter also read that the Director "in consultation with the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy admits candidates, keeps a list of students, and runs a register of studies". 42 Such wording proves that the College was intended to remain attached to the structure of the faculty. It should be noted, however, that both this wording as well as the one concerning students, revealed a certain degree of inaccuracy. According Pobrane z czasopisma Studia Iuridica Lublinensia http://studiaiuridica.umcs.pl Data: 28/11/2021 18:08:17 U M C S to § 7 RTTC, the students and auditors of the TTCJU enrolled as students of "the Teacher Training College Division of the Faculty of Philosophy". At this point, it is worth noting that such individuals did not actually acquire the status of a student of the Jagiellonian University. It also should be noted that AHEE 1920 clearly laid down the conditions to be met to obtain the status of a student. 43 Consequently, the attendees of the TTCJU were more likely to be referred to as auditors or trainees. The College Commission were elected by the members of the Faculty of Philosophy Council from among the college staff. The Commission was tasked with preparing opinions and motions regarding the operation of the College to be submitted to the Faculty Council. 44 Initially, the College admitted individuals who had been officially certified to teach at secondary schools. 45 At that time, the College offer additional teacher training that broadened the scope of subjects to be taught. 46 However, due to the several-year-long organisation of the College, admitted were also undergraduates after their third year of university studies who had completed a course in general psychology and a pro-seminar or seminar on teaching methodology in a given subject. However, some years later, admission priority was given to graduates of all types of studies holding a master's degree. 47 As a result, with time, the status of a TTCJU graduate became comparable with the status of a graduate of full-time university teacher training programmes. It is worth noting that the College had its own, well-stocked library. 48 Recruitment of qualified staff also proved challenging, including, especially at the beginning of the College's operation, proper allocation of classes to instructors who would be able to meet the course requirements. Consequently, the staff were engaged on an ongoing basis and were subject to numerous changes. The teachers were recruited from other university faculties but also from Kraków' secondary schools. Most of them were experts in the field of pedagogical sciences. Among them, apart from skilled educators and psychologists, there were also representatives of medical and legal sciences. The latter included Prof. Fryderyk Zoll (the young-  1930, no. 3, pp. 195-196. 47 Archives of Jagiellonian University in Kraków, SP 1-48/14. 48 W. Semkowicz, Życie naukowe współczesnego Krakowa, "Nauka Polska. Jej potrzeby, organizacja i rozwój " 1938, vol. 23, p. 46. Pobrane z czasopisma Studia Iuridica Lublinensia http://studiaiuridica.umcs.pl Data: 28/11/2021 18:08:17 U M C S er) 49 and Dr Kazimierz Władysław Kumaniecki. 50 Both Zoll 51 and Kumaniecki 52 lectured on educational law, the organisation of educational system, and the basics of the Polish legal system.
Although the Faculty of Philosophy of the Jagiellonian University began to offer a teacher training specialisation from the 1925/1926 academic year, and in 1928 the Ministry proposed a two-year teacher training course 53 to be provided in parallel with the activity of the TTCJU, the leading and established position of the TTCJU was not undermined. Quite the contrary, the institution gained momentum and its curriculum broadened. New experts were hired, scientific conferences were held, and even foreign study visits were organised. A TTCJU graduate earned full qualification to teach in secondary schools, which was a priority goal in the new reality of the reborn state. The graduates were not required to pass an extra teacher's examination, although the actual secondary school teaching diploma was awarded after a full year of employment in a school establishment. 54 The successful development of the College was interrupted by the outbreak of WW2. After the war, the facility reopened to pursue the pre-war curricula, yet the nationwide reorganisation of the higher education system inevitably led to its dissolution. 55 The TTCJU remained active until 1952. Its closure followed the Act of 15 December 1951 on higher education system and teaching staff 56 that changed the system governing the operation of universities.

CONCLUSIONS
In order to discuss the question of the position of special-purpose training in the higher education system of the Second Republic of Poland, several aspects must be taken into account. First of all, the socio-political setting of the reborn Polish state seems of key importance. It is worth noting that in the early years of independence many domains of public life lacked uniform systemic solutions. However, that did not hinder people's endeavours to encourage development. The higher education system was seen as instrumental to achieving these goals. It was regulated already in 1920. Having achieved relative stability, universities began to offer programmes in various disciplines but also sought ways to provide specialist training aimed to professionalise individual occupational groups.
However, initially, the law on university education failed to offer a normative solution for the operation of organisational units known as special-purpose colleges. Such a solution was proposed in another law passed in 1933. This delay can be explained by the challenging and intense legislative process that caused the question of specialist training to be postponed to a later legislative stage. Life successfully filled the long-term gap in the law. The need for specialist education in many areas led to the development of certain training standards. Ultimately, it also determined the introduction of the concept of "special-purpose colleges" to the 1933 higher education law and regulated their establishment and operation.
One of the examples of the importance of specialist training for the overall educational system in the Second Republic of Poland was the institution of the Teacher Training College of the Jagiellonian University. It was set up thanks to a group of individuals committed to the idea. The initiative was aligned with the urgent needs of the reality of the reborn state. Among the various systems that Poland was made to re-establish or create anew was the educational system. Unlike tertiary education, the elementary and secondary educational system evolved almost throughout the entire interwar period, facing numerous obstacles. One of them was the shortage of teaching staff to educate the following generations in a competent manner. This was especially true of secondary schools, i.e. institutions with a higher level of education, whose graduates most often aspired to pursue university programmes.
The Jagiellonian University faced the challenge of training secondary school teachers. The centuries-old tradition of the university was a guarantee that the College would offer more than vocational training institutions, such as teachers' seminaries popular at that time. This concept underlay further arrangements made between the university authorities and the masterminds of the College project. It was reiterated in the College charter of May 1922, which pointed to the following goal of the institution: "to train candidates for the teaching profession and pursue pedagogical and didactic sciences".
Pobrane z czasopisma Studia Iuridica Lublinensia http://studiaiuridica.umcs.pl Data: 28/11/2021 18:08:17 U M C S An equally complex problem was to establish a formal organisation of the college, in other words, its legal status. How relevant this problem was can be seen in the archival materials revealing heated discussions between Prof. Władysław Heinrich and other scholars from Kraków. Two main views clashed in the discussion. In the view of Prof. Heinrich, the College should enjoy full autonomy from the university. His opponents advocated a close union of the College with the Jagiellonian University. While carefully analysing the opposing arguments, from today's point of view, it seems that both sides in fact aimed to achieve the same goal, which was to secure a high position and a high quality of the College, and consequently, to develop, within the university structure or outside it, an elite pedagogical institution.
The importance of the Teacher Training College was clearly acknowledged during the inauguration ceremony. In addition to the academia, the university Rector, representatives of Kraków schools, the media and students, the ceremony was attended by Antoni Ponikowski, the then Prime Minister and Minister in charge of education. As reported in the local press, the visit, and especially the Latin formula by the Prime Minister in the closing of his speech, bode well for the future successful operation of the College. This success, however, would not have been possible without the body of qualified lecturers. It should be emphasized that the Jagiellonian University hired specialists from among the university professors but also well known, Kraków-based practitioners employed in municipal secondary schools. Among the teaching staff, there were also high-ranking representatives of medical and legal sciences.
The position of the College earned over the years was not eroded even when, as a result of amendments to educational law, some university faculties were allowed to offer programmes for future teachers. A ministerial teacher training course launched at the Jagiellonian University did not do any harm to the College, either. During the Second Republic of Poland, the Kraków Teacher Training College was an elite institution. The lecturer cadre was gradually broadened, scientific conferences were held, and even internships abroad were made available. A College graduate earned full qualification to teach in secondary schools. They were not required to take an additional teacher's examination, either. It should be highlighted that the achievements of the Teacher Training College of the Jagiellonian University did not benefit the university education system as such. To a large extent, they benefited the general educational system, i.e. specific secondary schools.
With all this in mind, the opinion voiced in the literature on the subject that the Kraków College was only an experiment of the interwar period can be only partially supported. In contrast, the College can be said to have been instrumental to specialist education and paved the way for various types of courses and postgraduate programmes. Its undeniable attribute was the pioneering work done for the training of secondary school teachers at a level comparable to that offered at university courses.